Hope as HIV Mother to Child Transmissions significantly drops in the county
There has been a significant drop in the rate of HIV Mother To Child Transmissions (MTCT) in the county over the past four years with a record 50 HIV exposed infants confirmed to be virus free this year.
Confirming the plausible statistics at the Kitale county referral hospital today, Deputy Governor Philomena Kapkory commended health officials for supporting the course to bring down cases of MTCTs.
In 2018, she said, 50 infants contracted the virus from their mothers, a number that she noted to be so high at a time when governments and organizations across the world are fighting to combat such transmissions.
She was however convinced that the fight is manageable with health records indicating that only seven cases of MTCTs were reported between the year 2020 and 2022.
Mrs. Kapkory who presided over graduation of the infants whose mothers tested positive for the virus affirmed that the county administration would support the prevention and elimination of such transmissions.
“As a fellow woman, I want to assure that I will stand with you through support programs and where applicable job opportunities so that you can be able to achieve your positive goals in life,” she told the mothers of the graduating infants.
The HIV positive mothers, also dubbed as mentors shared their harrowing tales of how they contracted the virus and the pains they underwent as a result of stigmatization, some from neglect or disownment by their peers.
Stakeholders and the general audience were indulged in bittersweet tales of the mothers’ encounters with those who infected them with the virus even as they acted as ambassadors in the fight against spread of the disease.
The deputy governor offered them gift packages to boost their wellbeing just as she disclosed plans being advanced to improve the overall health sector service provision.
Moments earlier on, Mrs. Kapkory engaged Antenatal mothers at the facility whom she called upon to share their reproductive health information for a healthy living among the couples.
In the afternoon, she had engagements with a section of medics who were undergoing training on matters health courtesy of the USAid Ampath and reiterated the county administration’s devotion to uplift health standards.
The county executive for Health Ms Claire Wanyama, County director of medical services Dr. Nancy Kegode and a host of health workers drawn from various health facilicities also graced the auspicious occasion.
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